A Fool's Judgement of the World
by NakamuraMiku
Summary: Mayako's life changed forever 10 years ago. Since then, she is plagued by visions that no one else seems to notice. Is she crazy or is there something more to the world she's come to know? A novelization of Persona 3 Portable with my own ideas here and there. MAJOR SPOILERS!
1. April 6th 2009

April 6th, 2009

**AN: Hi hi ****. For the past couple of weeks, my imagination has been captured by the amazing game, Persona 3. I thought it would be fun to write a novelization. I have my own thoughts of the series and I think this will be a cool way to show it off ****. If you don't like it, don't read it. Otherwise, enjoy! **

**I don't own anything.**

I splash cold water on my face. The station is pretty humid due to all the people rushing home after work. I study my reflection in the mirror. I look tired and my forehead is shiny. Travelling generally make my skin oily. I take my handkerchief out and pat my face dry. Something in the corner of my eye catches my attention.

It's a butterfly. A glowing, blue one in fact. I've never seen anything like it. It flutters by and disappears out the open window. That's when I notice something scribbled on the wall next to the window.

_Time never waits._

_It delivers all equally to the same end._

_You, who wish to safeguard the future,_

_However limited it may be…_

_You will be given one;_

_Go forth without falter,_

_With your heart as your guide…_

This must have been left behind by one of those religious monks outside. They have nice penmanship.

I exit the restroom, feeling refreshed. The city station is full of people chatting and hurrying home to their family. I even see a woman text and carry four shopping bags at the same time. I really hope she doesn't run into anyone. I sit on a bench and wait for the train to arrive. I turn on my MP3 player and play my favorite song "Soul Phrase".

I get a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that something is about to happen. My heart pounds and palms start to sweat. My breathing becomes shallow and I start to shake. The noise around me worsens into dissonant cacophony. I rummage through my bag for my pills. I manage to find them and swallow one. The bitter taste is disgusting and I cleanse my palate with water from a bottle.

I sigh with relief as my body calms down. This has been happening for the past 10 years and I really don't know what causes it. My doctor back at home diagnosed me with panic disorder and gave me anti-anxiety pills to take whenever I start to have a meltdown.

I hear the train pull into the station. I rush down the stairs and board the train as quickly as I can. Not many people are heading into the city at this time so there are plenty of spaces to sit. I choose a seat right next to the door and open my admission's pamphlet for the new school I'm going to be attending.

Gekkoukan High is known for its first rate academics and sports club. Students can either live in the dorms or at home. There is a picture of a beautiful building with the words "Iwatodai Dorms" underneath it. It's small and intimate; easy to make friends there most likely.

The intercom crackles to life. "Due to a malfunction in the switching system, today's rail schedule has been greatly altered. We apologize to any customer who were in a hurry. The next stop is Iwatodai." The conductor announces. He doesn't seem too thrilled with this turn of events either.

I decide it would be pointless to complain at this point so I turn on my MP3 player and wait until it is time for my stop.

It takes about two hours until I arrive at my stop. I didn't mind but the other people on the train were antsy to get home. "Iwatodai. This is the final train bound for Tatsumi Port Island. Please take care to board before our departure." The pre-recorded announcement sounds over the train.

I scramble to depart from the train. My leg fell asleep and I shake and stomp to get rid of the pins and needles sensation. I pass through the terminal and take notice of the time. It's almost midnight. I arrived way later than I was expecting.

Suddenly, all the lights in the station turn off and the world around turns green, like I'm looking through night vision goggles. The station is open 24 hours a day so I wonder why it seems so dead right now.

I don't really want to stay here much longer. I hurry outside the station and onto the street. I know it's late but there is literally no one around. I wander further into the city and notice coffin-like objects where people should be standing. I've never had this happen before in my life. Is this some kind of new trend that I'm not aware of? I mean, I haven't lived here in ten years so a lot has probably changed during that time.

With the nearly full moon being my light source, I manage to make it to the dorm safely. It looks like an old building, probably at least fifty years old and reminds me of a hotel rather than a dorm. I push the one of the double doors open and enter the building.

I look around the lounge. It has a desk with what I guess would be the sign in sheet. Yup, it definitely reminds me of a hotel.

"Welcome," a boy's voice out of nowhere greets me.

A boy around six years old seems to materialize out of the shadows. I didn't notice him when I came in. He has pale skin, jet black hair and the brightest blue eyes I have ever seen. He's wearing a pair of black and white striped pajamas that makes him look like a stereotypical prisoner. He gives me a small smile. "You're late. I've been waiting a long time."

I feel bad for making him wait. Kids his age shouldn't be staying up this late. Then I realize that a kid is in a dorm for high schoolers. He holds out a piece of paper. It might be the housing contract I have to sign. "If you want to proceed, then please sign here. It's a contract. There's no need to be scared. It only binds you to accepting full responsibility for your actions."

I take the paper. I was expecting a list of rules for the dorm but all that was written was "I chooseth this fate of mine own free will." Below that is a place to sign my name. I sign it. "Mayako Hirakawa."

I hand the paper back to the boy. He smiles, satisfied. "Very well. Time is something no one can escape. It delivers us all to the same end. Wishing won't make it go away. And so it begins," he disappears into the shadows, as if he wasn't there in the first place.

His words remind me of the cryptic message I saw back at the station. Is this some kind of cult? I didn't have time to think this over before I hear a girl's voice from the staircase.

"Who's there?!" I turn and see that she has a gun pointed at me. "How can you be? But it's! Don't tell me." She looks like she is about to shoot me.

"Wait!" Another, more mature girl shouts after running down the stairs.

The younger girl gasps and lowers her gun. The lights flicker back on. I flinch as my eyes begin to adjust. "The lights."

The older girl motions to the lounge and I take a seat on the couch.

"I didn't think you'd arrive so late. My name is Mitsuru Kirijo. I'm one of the students who live in this dorm," the older girl introduces herself.

"Who's she?" the younger girl asks suspiciously.

"She's a transfer student. It was a last minute decision to assign her here. She'll eventually be moved to a room in the normal dorm." Mitsuru explains. I don't really like having people talk about me like I'm not there, but I have a feeling that the girl would listen to Mitsuru better.

While they're talking, I get a better look at them. The first girl looks like she's my age. She has shoulder-length brown hair and is wearing a pink cardigan. Mitsuru looks like she is at least one year older than me. She has long, dark red hair that curls a little at the bottom. She has an air of sophistication and is wearing an expensive looking white blouse. I notice that they're not wearing the standard school uniform and wonder if Gekkoukan High more lenient with their dress code.

"Is it okay for her to be here?" the younger girl whispers to Mitsuru. She probably didn't mean for me to hear.

"I guess we'll see," Mitsuru whispers back. She turns to me. "This is Yukari Takeba. She'll be a junior this spring, just like you."

"Hi, I'm Yukari." She says timidly.

It might not be the appropriate time to ask about the gun. I wonder why Mitsuru inferred that this was a special dorm. I decide that now is not the time for strange questions. "Nice to meet you." I smile warmly at both of them.

"Uh, y-yeah. Nice to meet you, too." Yukari still seems to be wary of me.

"It's getting late. You'll find your room on the 3rd floor. Your things should already be there. I suggest you tuck in for the night," Mitsuru helpfully proposes.

"Oh. I'll show you the way. Follow me." Yukari offers. I nod.

We climb up two flights of stairs and walk to the end of the hallway. "This is it. Pretty easy to remember, huh? Since it's right at the end of the hall. So, any questions?" Yukari gives me a nervous smile.

Maybe she knows about the boy I met earlier in the lobby. "Does that boy live here?"

Yukari looks like I just asked if this place was haunted. "What are you talking about? C'mon, it's not funny." I wasn't joking. "Um. Can I ask you something?" I wait for her to continue. "On your way here from the station, was everything okay?"

I wasn't sure what she meant by okay. It was possible that everything I saw in the city was just my imagination. "What do you mean?" I question.

Yukari sighs in exasperation. "You know what I-" she cuts herself off. "Never mind. It seems like you're alright. Well, I'd better get going. Um. I'm sure you still have questions, but let's save them for later, okay? Good night." She turns on her heels and walks down stairs.

I enter my room. It's pretty small with only a bed, sink, desk and a small TV. The calendar on the wall is already flipped to April. I check it and see that I have school tomorrow. I'm too tired to do anything right now. I change into my pajamas, brush my teeth and wash my face and pass out on my bed.

**AN: Reviews are really helpful ****.**


	2. April 7th 2009

April 7th, 2009

**AN: Second day of Mayako's journey! This fic is a lot of fun to write. Mayako has a fascinating personality. I plan to make this a little darker than the source material. I have my own theories on the shadows and hope to explore that more. Enjoy!**

I'm woken up by the bright light of the sun. I left my curtains open because I mostly sleep through alarm clocks and wake up better by sunlight. I stretch my muscles out. I'm a little stiff. It make take a while to get used to the new bed.

My school uniform is laid on my desk chair. It's crisp, just the way I like it. I do my morning routine. Just as I'm done tying my ribbon, I hear a knocking at my door.

"It's Yukari. Are you awake?" before I answer, she lets herself in. I don't have the heart to tell her off. "Good morning. Did you sleep okay? Mitsuru-senpai asked me to take you to school. Are you ready to go?"

I quickly give myself a final once over in the mirror and check my uniform for wrinkles. Satisfied, I reply, "Totally!"

Yukari smiles at my enthusiasm. "Okay. Then, let's go."

We walk to the station nearby and board the train. I hope that it's running on time today. I don't want to be late for my first day of school.

"We have to take the monorail to get there. Bet your last school wasn't like that, huh? This is my favorite part, when it feels like you're gliding over the sea. Our stop is Port Island Station at the end of the line. From there, we walk. Have you ever heard of Tatsumi Port Island? It's a man-made island. They built our school right in the middle. Oh, look, you can see it now!" Yukari seems to have opened up to me more. It's funny because yesterday she was pointing a gun at me. She continues to ramble on. I don't mind. I'm more of a listener than a talker anyways.

We arrive at the school. I'm impressed by how modern it looks; almost like it's a giant research facility rather than a school. It occurs to me that this area has some strange looking buildings.

"Mornin'!" A girl greets Yukari. She seems to be popular. I even see some guys look at her like a celebrity.

"Morning!" Yukari cheerfully answers the other girl. She turns back to me. "Well, here we are. Welcome to Gekkoukan High! You're gonna love it here!"

It's a stunning campus. The cherry blossom trees are in full bloom and the building makes me feel small. However, there is something off about it. I can't quite figure out what it is. I brush it off, maybe I'm just nervous.

Yukari takes me to the shoe lockers. I find mine on the end, which is good because that means I won't have to wait for people to move in order to get to my locker at the end of the day. "You're okay from here, right?" I nod. Yukari seems to be worried about me. "You should go see your homeroom teacher first. The faculty office is right there to the left. And that concludes the tour. Do you have any questions before I go?"

I have just one. I don't expect her to know the answer though. "Where's my classroom?"

Yukari shrugs. "I think they're posted on the bulletin board, but I haven't checked yet either. Hey. About last night, don't tell anyone what you saw, okay?" I nod. Yukari is satisfied with that answer. "See ya later."

I have a little time before I'm supposed to meet my teacher so I decide to have a look around. As I'm putting my shoes away, I overhear a conversation.

"Hey, Kaz. Why are you wearing your P.E. uniform!? School just started! You really oughtta find somewhere to change into some normal clothes!" an angry yells at a guy in a tracksuit. I understand why she's yelling at him. I mean, who wears a tracksuit to school?

The guy in the tracksuit sighs in defeat. "Ehh, I guess. Okay, okay, fine. Quit glaring at me like that. Hey where's the bulletin board with the homerooms posted?"

"It's RIGHT THERE! You're in Class F, Kaz. I'm in a different homeroom, so I can't keep an eye on you." The girl sighs. "I worry about you sometimes."

I wonder if they're dating. They act like an old married couple.

I pass by a smart-looking girl. She sounds unhappy about the class assignment. "Aww. We're in different classes. Eh, whatever."

I want to take a look at the school store. A man is complaining to the vender. "Hmph. Kids these days don't know how to show respect for their elders. We're their teachers. We've lived longer than them. But Moriyama and her gang had to pull that on me at the very beginning of the term."

The vendor looks like she doesn't want to deal with this man. "I'm sorry, sir, but I have to go. It's time to place my order."

"Even YOU'RE shooing me away? Some way to start the school year. I don't think my nerves can take this." I really hope I don't have this drama queen for my teacher.

The vender realizes something. "Alright, I get it. You want me to order more of those cream-filled breads you like so much, right? You could have just asked."

It's almost time for me to meet up with my teacher so I check the class roster. I don't see my name at first. I look again and find my name on a post-it note with "Class F" written next to it. Couldn't they have just made another list? I see Yukari's name on the list as well. It looks like we'll be in the same class.

I head to the faculty office. In the hallway, I overhear a man in a samurai helmet converse animatedly with a boy with a foreign accent.

"Do you see? Every man must have the passionate samurai spirit within him! At our school, we encourage our students to think like samurai in order to accomplish great things!" the helmeted man lectures the student.

"That's fantastic! Ze teachings of bushido are important zen as zey are now!" the boy must be French, judging by his accent.

"Yes, yes, yes! You may not be a native of this land, but the spirit of the samurai flows through you just the same!" the helmeted man is proud of this student. They seem to be having fun.

A girl who looks even older than Mitsuru looks lost. She keeps studying the sign on a door. "Hm? Strange, it says this is the library here. But I was just in one down the hall. Was that just another classroom?"

It's about time to meet up with my teacher. I enter the faculty office and seem a professional looking woman there. She must be my teacher.

"Oh, are you the new student? Mayako Hirakawa. 11th grade, correct?" the teacher flips through a file. "Wow, you've lived in a lot of different places. Let's see, in 1999, that was what, ten years ago? Your parents," she gasps. "I'm sorry. I've been so busy, I didn't have time to read this beforehand. I'm Ms. Toriumi. I teach Compostition. Welcome to our school."

I'm sad for a second about my parents, but I let it go. It's no use being sad over something that happened a long time ago. "I'm pleased to meet you."

"My, aren't you polite? Girls like you should be an example for others. Have you seen the classroom assignments? You're in 2-F; that's my class. But first, we need to go to the auditorium. The Welcoming Ceremony will be starting soon. Follow me." Ms. Toriumi leads me to the auditorium.

It doesn't take long for me to want to get out of here. I'm pretty sure the principal is obsessed with his own voice.

"As you begin the new school year, I'd like each of you to remember the proverb, 'If a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well.' When applied to student life, this means." The principal drones on and on.

Something else catches my attention. "I heard we got a transfer student." One of the boys in front of me whispers.

"Yep. I've seen her, too. She came to school with Yukari," another boy brags.

"I hear talking. I believe it's someone in Ms. Toriumi's class," the teacher that was whining to the vender earlier warns.

"Shhh! Be quiet! You're going to get me in trouble!" Ms. Toriumi whisper-shouts to the two boys in front of me. When she turns her back, the boys continue whispering about me.

The rest of the day isn't too bad. It's mostly going over the syllabus for all the classes the juniors are taking. It's a relief when school ends.

Just as I'm packing up my stuff, I hear someone call out to me. "'Sup, dude!?" I turn around and a boy in a baseball cap is standing behind me. He has a friendly smile on his face. "Haha, you look like a deer in headlights."

"Who are you?" I ask. He seems harmless. It wouldn't hurt to make another friend here.

"Me? I'm Junpei Iori. Nice to meet ya. I transferred here when I was in 8th grade. I know how tough it is bein' the new kid. So I thought I'd check up on you, make sure you weren't freaking out on your first day."

Yukari notices us and walks over. She sighs. "At it again huh? Honestly, is there any girl you wouldn't hit on? Did you ever think you might be bothering someone?"

"What? But, I was just bein' friendly." Junpei says defensively.

Yukari rolls her eyes. "If you say so. Anyway, some coincidence that we'd be in the same homeroom, huh?"

"I'm glad to have a friend," I say sincerely.

"A friends? Oh. You mean me. Yeah, I-I'm glad we ended up in the same class, too." Yukari is taken aback by that.

"Um, hello? Did you forget I'm in this class, too? C'mon, lemme in one the fun! By the way, do you guys know each other? I heard you two came to school together this morning. A couple of cuties like you, walking side by side. The whole class was buzzing about you." Junpei raises his eyebrows.

"Ugh. Could you just cut it out? I hate dealing with rumors like that. I mean, I'm used to it, but she just got here, you know? Don't you feel bad, spreading rumors like that? Well, I've gotta go take care of some archery team stuff. Don't try anything funny, you got that, Junpei?" Yukari warns before leaving.

"What is she, your nanny? Well, just to clear something up, I seriously didn't come over here to hit on you anything. If you ever have a problem, you can tell your ol' pal Junpei about it!" Junpei reassures me.

"I'll remember that." I smile warmly at him. Something tells me I can trust him.

"Heh, cool. Well, I'll be seeing you around, then." Junpei is happy that I had accepted his friendship.

Not long after I leave the room, Junpei catchers me at the shoe lockers and begs me to let him walk me back to the dorm. I couldn't say no. When we exit the school, a bunch of boys in tracksuits run by us.

"Woah, check out the jocks on the run. Hey, did anyone tell you about the school clubs yet? Girls can join too, so why not do it if you're interested? You'd be joining as a new member, though, so you won't be able to apply for a little while," Junpei explains. I might consider doing that. I'm pretty athletic.

Junpei and I continue talking until we reach my dorm. He says goodbye and I go inside.

I sign the book at the front desk. It's always a good idea to let people know where you are. I approach Mitsuru. "You really shouldn't be outside on your own at night. It's too dangerous. Anyway, you must be tired. You should get a good night's rest." I nod in agreement.

I see Yukari sitting at the table, eating her dinner. She calls over to me. "Oh, hi. What're you doing?"

"Just looking around." I answer. I don't want to make Yukari suspicious.

"Well, there's not much to see. You're probably tired, huh? Maybe you should go to bed early tonight."

I begin to think that might be a good idea. School wore me out today. I head upstairs to my room. I finish unpacking my stuff that was left here. I hear voices from downstairs. One of them sounds like a guy. I blush. I didn't think that this dorm was co-ed. I didn't say so on my pamphlet. I guess wandering around in my pajamas is a no-no now.

I do my nightly routine and go to bed.

**AN: Please review!**


	3. April 8th 2009

April 8th, 2009

**AN: Hey. Sorry I haven't been updating. Something happened and everything was pretty hectic all week. But it's all been resolved so I should resume updating when I can. Enjoy!**

Nobody was around when I left for school, so I went by myself. I'm walking behind two girls who are gossiping really loudly to each other.

"Did you hear about the rumor?" the girl with the short-bobbed hair asks her friend.

"Oh, um. Something about, a bathroom?" the pig-tailed girl wonders out loud.

"N-no! Not that one! I mean the story about the first-year student! Not only did she stop coming to school, she does nothing but sit and stare at the walls all day. If her mother tries to talk to her, she only mutters to herself, 'It's coming. It's coming!" the first girl rambles excitedly.

"Huh. How about that."

"You don't believe me?"

I think that this could just be a silly rumor. High school girls like to spread them. A voice in the back of my head tells me that this is important, but I ignore it.

The day goes on without anything significant happening until the afternoon. Ms. Toriumi is giving a lecture.

"Open your textbooks and we'll take a look at the first novel by Zenzou Kasai. Ugh, why him? I'd rather teach Utsubo Kubota. He became famous as a singer, but he's also produced fine literature. I wonder why it's not in the textbook. Well, I'll just bring Kubota's book next time. Hey, Junpei! Were you listening? Who did I say was my favorite author?" Ms. Toriumi snapped at Junpei, who had been spacing out.

"H-huh? U-ummm," Junpei looks puzzled. He turns to me. "Psst! Who does she like?"

I had been paying close attention, of course. "Utsubo Kubota." I whisper to him.

Junpei says the answer out loud and Ms. Toriumi's eyes widen in shock. "That's right! So you were listening to me after all!"

"Eheheh. Well, you know how I like to pay attention!" Junpei whispers to me. "Man, you saved my bacon, Mayako!"

"Mayako gave him the answer. She must pay attention in class!" one of my classmates murmurs. I feel myself glow with charisma.

At the end of the day, I go straight to the dorm. I still haven't completely regained my energy from travelling. When I walk in through the door, Yukari stops her conversation with a man in the lounge. "Oh, she's back." She motions for me to sit down. I take a seat next her, across from a sophisticated-looking man.

"So, this is our new guest. Good evening. My name is Shuji Ikutsuki. I'm the Chairman of the Board for your school. 'Ikutsuki.' Hard to say, isn't it? That's why I don't like introducing myself. Even I get tongue-tied sometimes. I apologize about the confusion regarding your accommodations. However, it may take a while longer before you receive the proper room assignment. Is there anything you'd like to ask?"

I think for a second. "Why did you come here?"

Shuji hesitates. "To welcome you, of course." I'm not sure if I believe him. "Speaking of which, where's Mitsuru, Yukari?"

"She's upstairs," Yukari answers.

"As diligent as always. Although, it doesn't hurt to come down and say hello. Do you have another question?"

I heard a guy's voice last night. I want to make sure that I was correct in my theory. "Who else lives here?"

"There are only four student in this dorm: You, Yukari, here, Mitsuru, and a senior name Akihiko Sanada. I hope you all get along. Do you have another question?"

"I saw something odd." I mutter to myself.

"You saw something strange? Like what?" Shuji looks concerned. Yukari looks at me pleadingly. "You were probably just tired. I wouldn't worry about it. It's bad for you complexion, you know." The way he says this creeps me out. "Do you have another question?"

"No, not really." I want to get to bed as soon as possible.

"Then, I hope you have a successful school year. Now, if you'll excuse me. You must be tired from all the excitement. You should go to bed early. As they say, 'The early bird catches the bookworm'! Please forgive the bad pun." Shuji chuckles.

Yukari scoffs and rolls her eyes. "You'll get used to his lame jokes."

I say good night to them and head up to my room. I pretty much collapse onto my bed after my nightly routine. It doesn't take long for me to go to sleep.

An image of a clock ticking to midnight appears in front of me. When the second hand reaches the twelve, the clock turns green and shatters. I'm in a room with a checkerboard flooring and not much else.

"Master. Master Mayako Hirakawa." A raspy voice rings in my head.

I don't know what compels me to do this but I start to sprint. I hear rattling chains and I feel if don't get away fast enough, something bad is going to happen. A scream of horror and pain echoes in the distance. Tears begin rolling down my face. I wipe them away and stare at my hand in horror. A black smear streaks my hand. I know it's the essence of life. Every living being has it. It's oozing out of a wound in the palm of my hand.

I double over in pain. I've been pierced in the side. More of the black substance gushes out of me. I hear faint laughter and cheering all around me. They are celebrating my suffering. Twelve figures in the distance look on with sorrow. I smile at them. This is how it should be.

I don't feel pain anymore. Instead, I'm face to face with a gilded statue of myself. My body is tense with pain but my face is serene, as if I'm just sleeping.

The voice calls out to me once more. A single door appears in front of me. It opens, revealing an elevator that is ascending at a great speed. The clock's hands spin out of control. A man sits on a couch in front of me.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room. My name is Igor. I am delighted to make your acquaintance. This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. Only those who have signed the contract can enter this place." The paper I signed on my first night here magically materializes on the coffee table in front of me. "Henceforth, you shall be welcome here in the Velvet Room. You are destined to hone your unique ability, and you will require my help to do so. I only ask one thing in return, that you abide by the contract, and assume responsibility for the choices you make."

I recall what happened at my first night in the dorms. I might just be subconsciously remembering the kid I saw. Igor didn't seem like he wants to hurt me, even though he does resemble a criminal. Due to everything that has been happening lately, I agree to his conditions. "I understand."

His already Cheshire-like grin gets even wider. "Hold onto this." He hands me a small, but ornate looking key. I put it in my jacket pocket. I pause and wonder why I'm wearing my school uniform, but think nothing else of it. "There is still one more resident of this room, who unfortunately could not be present for your arrival. But I'll make sure you two are properly introduced. Another time, perhaps. 'Til we meet again." Igor's voice fades and my vision darkens as I wake up.

**AN: Thanks for reading! The nightmare sequence was a lot of fun for me to write. Make of it however you want it. I'm revealing nothing until the time comes! Please review!**


	4. April 9th 2009

April 9th, 2009

**AN: I don't really have much to say here. I like it when my stories have more views than visitors. That means that people are reading the chapters! Most people won't read past the first chapter if it doesn't interest them. Anyways, a lot's going to happen in this chapter. Enjoy!**

I ran into Junpei on my way to school today. Yukari's wrong about him. He doesn't have bad intentions with me. I think he's just friendly, almost like a brother. I'm normally nervous around guys but he doesn't intimidate me at all.

"Yo. Man, I'm so sleepy today. In times like these, it's best to sleep during class! You ever notice how sometimes taking a nap in class makes you feel more refreshed than sleeping at home?" Junpei asks. He strikes me as the slacker-type. I still should look out for him.

"Don't sleep in class." I reprimand him.

"Whaaat? Why do you have to be all serious? That feeling of being completely recharged is awesome. But I'm screwed later since I didn't hear the lecture! Oh, but we have classic literature today. That means we're stuck with Mr. Nasty ol' Ekoda." Junpei complains.

Mr. Ekoda turns out to be the whiny teacher from the first day. I don't want to get on his bad side.

"Ahem. I'm Mr. Ekoda. I'll be teaching you Classic Literature. I'll be teaching you about good old Japan all year. Some people say Classic Lit. isn't relevant to everyday life, but oh, how they're wrong! The students, the other teachers, wrong, wrong, wrong! Nobody really understands Classic Lit." Mr. Ekoda sure likes to complain.

My eyelids feel heavy and my head begins to nod. I don't think it would be a good idea to nod off on the first day of class. I might miss something important. I adjust my posture and catch my second wind.

"Hey. Are you all listening to me? Wake up, children! Now open your textbooks. First on our syllabus is "Ise Momogatari," the origin of Japanese literature. It's a very interesting story. You youngsters might call it, 'da bomb.'" He pauses for laughter. When he doesn't get a response, he sighs. "I can tell you people are 'zoning out.'" I inwardly groan.

The rest of the passes by without anything interesting happen. I met Yukari at the shoe lockers and she asked if we could walk back together. I agreed. We stopped at Paulownia Mall on our way back.

"Have you come here before? A lot of Gekkoukan students come here after school. There's a karaoke box and a CD shop. Oh, and a really great café, too! There's also a nightclub, but that's kinda not for us yet," Yukari gives me a tour of the large mall. I take note of where all the clothing stores are. It doesn't hurt to have variety on my days off.

We arrive back at the dorm that evening. Mitsuru greets us from behind the desk.

"Welcome back. The moon is beautiful tonight. It might be nice to read a book by moonlight once in a while," Mitsuru smiles softly. I look over at the computer she was working on. I wonder why I don't have one in my room. She notices where I was looking. "These networked computers were installed when the dorm was built. Their main purpose is to send the school reports about daily life here in the dorm."

I nod in understanding and join Yukari on the couch. She's poking at a TV dinner on the table in front of her. "There used to be a dorm mother here to do stuff like cooking, but there's just us students here now. It'd be great to have somebody like that doing stuff for us, don't you think?"

I think back to when my mom used to cook dinner for my father and me every night. The memory is a bit fuzzy but I remember how they used to leave the best bits of the food for me. I smile sadly at Yukari. "You're right."

"I mean, I'm not a good cook, and Mitsuru-senpai just doesn't do things like that. You know, if you're handy around the kitchen, I bet you could really do something with this place!" Yukari doesn't notice my sadness and turns to look at the TV. It's on some kind of gossip news column.

"Hi, I'm Trish, with today's installment of 'Who's Who.'" The reporter announces. "Today's subject is a very dependable-looking 20-year-old woman. Her sister is a camerawoman, and I've heard she got her camera from her master. Next is news. Pain, pain, go away!"

This doesn't interest me. I go to my room and get ready for bed.

I wake up with a start. A crash from outside startled me awake. My room was tinted green, as if I was looking through night vision goggles, just like it had been on my first night here. I speed-dress and head for the door to see what was going on.

Someone knocks on my door desperately. "Wake up!" It's Yukari. "Sorry, I'm coming in!" she barges in. "I don't have time to explain. We have to get out of here, now!"

I have no choice but to comply. "Okay!"

"Hurry! Downstairs! We'll leave through the back door!" she grabs my hand and then looks like she remembered something. "Wait! Take this, just in case." She gives me a long, thin weapon. I recognize it to be a naginata. I don't time to think about why she had one. "Okay, let's go! Follow me!"

Yukari practically drags me downstairs. We reach the locked door by the kitchen. Yukari fumbles with the lock. "Alright, we should be safe now-"

She's cut off by Mitsuru's voice. I don't see an intercom anywhere. It seems to be coming from inside my head. "Takeba, do you read me!?"

"Y-yes! I hear you!" Yukari responds without speaking. Are they communicating telepathically?

"Be careful! There's more than one enemy! The one we're fighting isn't the one Akihiko saw!"

"What!?" Yukari gasps. "L-let's pull back!" she grabs my hand and runs upstairs.

We're on the second floor when we hear what sounds like shuffling. "What was that!?" the noises get louder. "It's getting closer! K-keep moving! Hurry!" Yukari commands.

We keep running until we reach the roof. Yukari locks the door. She sighs with relief. "The door's locked. I think we're safe for now."

A loud crash sounds from right next to the building. We turn toward the noise and see something that makes my blood turn cold. A giant black hand grabs onto the ledge. Another arm slowly raises. It's holding a blue mask with the Roman numeral I on its forehead. It looks left and right before focusing on us. It pulls the rest of its body over the ledge. In every other hand, it's holding swords sharp enough to cut you into pieces. I make eye contact with the mask and suddenly the world around me is slowly being replaced with someone's living room.

The house smells strongly of alcohol. A man stumbles into the room, obviously drunk.

"What'rye you doin' home so late, boy?" the man slurs.

"I told you already. I had afterschool duty today." I explain. My voice sounds different.

"I told you not to talk back to me!" a bottle is thrown at my head. I dodge it in time and it smashes on the door behind me. A bit of glass cuts into my right cheek. "You're useless. Just like your mother. She did everything she could to protect you, but in the end, her body just couldn't take the stress. You killed her." The man swings at me and connects with my stomach. I collapse. I refuse to cry. Not in front of this worthless piece of garbage.

"I'll prove myself one day. You might not be around see it." I spit bitterly at the man.

The man laughs coldly. "The world would be better off if you weren't around."

"Then maybe I should do it a favor!" I shout before storming off to my room. I slam the door and frantically search my dresser. I find it. I put it to my temple. My finger is on the trigger. I close my eyes, bracing for what's about to happen.

I'm snapped out of my dream by a scream. "You gotta be kidding me! It climbed up the wall!? That's the thing that attacked this place. We call them Shadows!" Yukari pauses. "O-oh yeah. I have to fight. I, I can summon mine. No problem." She removes a silver gun from her holster. She puts it to her forehead. She hesitates.

My eyes widen in horror as the Shadow hurls a fireball at her. Yukari is knocked down. The gun appears at my feet. I know what to do.

I pick up the gun and point it to my temple. I pull the trigger and hear the sound of glass shattering. A cool breeze flows through my mind.

A woman resembling a robot appears in front of me. 'Orpheus'. Her name rings in my head. Suddenly, my head feels like it's about to be split open from the inside, like something is trying to get out. I fall to my knee and clench my head. The robotic woman does the same as me and out of her head comes a figure surrounded by coffins. It manically laughs before tearing the Shadow apart, limb from limb. The Shadow shrieks as the dark figure tortures it mercilessly. When the shrieks die down, the figure smiles in satisfaction and disappears. Orpheus returns unscathed.

"Is it over?" Yukari peeks from behind her hands. She was cowering in fear the entire time. She screams. "It's still moving!" she scurries away from the Shadow that is heading for her. "N-no. G-get away from me!"

I couldn't just leave her there. I jump in front of them and slash, using my naginata. The Shadows go down easily. Relief washes over me. Exhaustion overtakes me. I fall to the ground.

Yukari gasps. "Are you okay!? Come one! Please! Can you hear me!? Answer me!"

It's not long until I'm back in the Velvet room. Igor is there to greet me.

"It's so nice to see you again. You became unconscious after awakening to your power. I see that it was Orpheus that heeded your calling. That power is called Persona. It is a manifestation of your psyche."

I blink in confusion. "Persona?"

"A Persona is a facet of your personality that surfaces as you react to external stimuli. You can think of it as a mask that protects you as you brave many hardships."

I don't know what Igor is talking about. "That's what 'Orpheus' is?" I thought Orpheus was just a myth.

"When you use your persona ability, you must channel your inner strength. The ability evolves as you develop your Social Links- your emotional ties with others. The stronger your Social Links, the more powerful your Persona ability. Please remember that. Now, then, time marches on in your world. I shouldn't keep you here any longer. Next time we meet, you will come here of you own accord. Until then, farewell." Igor's voice fades as I wake up.


End file.
